Audiobook Review: Test Drive by Riley Hart, Narrated by Sean Crisden

I absolutely LOVE Riley Hart's books! She is one of my go-to authors when I am looking for a fantastic story. She has never let me down, and I love that she can bring the steam as well as all the feels! This series just might be my favorite of hers, and if you are a fan of M/M books you have to read these! Sean Crisden is the narrator for Test Drive, and I think he is the perfect fit to bring Riley's words to life!

Just after learning that his dad has cancer and a family that Justin never knew about, he leaves his life behind to help his dad try and make amends for his past. While trying to find his place in a family he never knew about with his new siblings, Justin goes out to let off a little steam and has a hookup that just leaves him wanting more. But when he finds out that his hookup is actually his new sister's brother in law, he knows things are about to get even more complicated. Though both know that they can't be together for several reasons, Justin and Drew find themselves unable to stay away from each other and soon things between them are much more than friendly. But can it possibly something lasting with everything between them, especially when Justin's plan is to return home?

I loved these two. They were sexy and funny, and absolutely perfect for each other. I loved their playfulness and banter, but I also couldn't get enough of the deeper connection that they had. I loved Drew so much for being exactly what Justin needed, and always seeing it even when Justin was a bit lost. I was so glad that Justin had him and that Drew didn't care who found out because he was determined to be there for Justin in every way he needed him to be. My heart went out to Justin who was losing his dad and also the only life he had ever known. 

Overall, this book was everything. I just loved it from start to finish, seeing Drew and Justin figure things out between them, and also seeing Justin get to know his siblings. There was just so much love and family and my heart was so full at the end of this book. It had everything I love in a great romance with a cast of characters that are unique and feel so real and genuine. I have loved each couple in this series, and Justin and Drew were no different. They captured my heart right away and I will always adore them. I thought that Sean Crisden brought so much emotion and life to every part of this story and listening to Riley's words through him was such a great experience. The story was fantastic and so was the narration, I can't recommend this one enough!

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne, Narrated by Derek Perkins

Kerrigan Byrne is one of those authors that once you start reading her stories you just keep wanting more and more! I started “The Highwayman” a year ago and got distracted with other books. When the opportunity to review her audiobooks came up I ran for it! What a fantastic author. “The Highlander” is the third book in her Victorian Rebels series. I am so hooked! The only reason I was eager to finish this story is because I know I have two other books by her to hear!

I personally love audiobooks especially times like now when I’m too exhausted and busy to read. Derek Perkins is as good as they get! He is a fantastic narrator who really knows how to make the characters appear before me as he reads to me about them!

Now the fantastic writing that is this story! Colonel Liam MacKenzie is the hero or like many of Byrne’s writing, an anti-hero. He has a troubled family history and is known for his ruthlessness on the battlefield. He carries many demons from his past such as his difficult and abusive relationship with his father to the suicide of his wife. As Liam returns to his clan he is faced with the task of raising his children. Something that he cannot do alone so he needs to find a governess.

Miss Philomena can’t get far enough from London and the chance to escape to the highlands is the perfect opportunity for her. With the help of two friends, Millie and Christopher Argent-from the previous book- she finds herself Liam’s new governess.

As Liam and Mena begin to get to know each other they both have secrets that they want to keep hidden but their pasts are racing to catch up with them. Liam knows that Mena is running from her past and the wounds she carries are visible both physically and emotionally. Neither Liam nor Mena are ready to let their guard down and really believe that another can come to love them despite their wounded pasts.

So, some confessions. I have to say that I don’t like instant lust stories and most of Byrne’s stories the characters instantly fall for one another. The obstacles they face are either external or obstacles that will come to resolution with time. What always keeps me glued is that the storylines are so well plotted and the twists and turns are so unexpected. Towards the end there were some things I anticipated and others I did not! I really enjoyed Liam and Mena’s story and I am happily inserting the next cd of “The Duke” and I’m ready to jump into Cole and Imogen’s story!

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Conquered by the Highlander by Eliza Knight, Narrated by Antony Ferguson

“Conquered by the Highlander” by Eliza Knight was a great adventure! I really liked the first story in her series “Conquered Bride.” Although I have read Eliza Knight before and this is not my first audiobook by her, I was still delighted by the different station in life that the characters in the story experienced. 

In her “Conquered Bride” series the heroines are not young and inexperienced heroines. They are older heroines who have either experienced heartache or are widows. A Lowlander, Laird Gabriel MacKinnon is an older hero, also. He had his heart broken when the woman he loved married another. Ironically, this unrequited love leads him to his next love. 

Lady Brenna was in a very long and awful marriage. Her husband abused her physically and sexually. Because of the terrible experience she had with her husband she could not image ever wanting to be with another man. When Gabriel is asked to help rescue Brenna and her children, Brenna is his ex-love interests’ cousin, he does the honorable thing and helps her out. When he arrives at the Scorrybreac Castle the clan is not only in a tumultuous state but Brenna is terrified for her life and that of her children. Her husband, Ronald MacLeod is dead, murdered, by what everyone thinks were her hands. Brenna is in a very desperate situation since her murdered husband’s brother is ready to take over control and fill in. Brenna is worried that her son will not inherit the castle as is his due. When Gabriel comes to rescue her and her family, she thinks he is there only to take advantage of the situation. 

Gabriel doesn’t expect the rescue to be easy but he is a skilled warrior and knows the perils involved. What he doesn’t expect is to find Lady Brenna so attractive or to learn to care for her children. The more he learns about the horrors that she lived with the more compassionate he becomes. But the road to happily-ever-after is not as easy as Gabriel would hope. Brenna is not open to letting someone take care of her and she is ready to fight anyone that tries to get in the way of her and her children. The sweetest and intensity of Brenna and Gabriel was so sweet and lovely. 

I really enjoyed “Conquered by the Highlander.” The story was so easy to listen to and so endearing. I really like Brenna and Gabriel and was rooting for them when one obstacle after another presented itself in their way. I’m more than excited to start listening to the next book in the series, Seduced by the Laird (Conquered Bride, #2) . I’m convinced Anthony Ferguson can read the yellow pages and he could make is sound interesting!

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffries, Narrated by Beverley A. Crick

The Danger of Desire is Sabrina Jeffries third book in the Sinful Suitors series. Jeffries is one of my favorite historical romance writers but I have to confess that I have not really fallen in love with the series. I did love the books before the series “The Duke’s Men.” In this story Delia Trevor is the friend of Clarissa from the previous book, “The Study of Seduction.” Clarissa is very worried about Delia because she fears that her friend is deliberately trying to fend off suitors. Delia had a nice dowry left to her and she is not interested in gold-diggers. To help Delia find a suitor Clarissa asks her cousin Warren Corry to help Delia and guide her. 

Clarissa is right Delia is not looking for a suitor. She is however looking for a man with a tattoo that she things is responsible for cheating her brother and therefore his wife, now widow, and son out of their fortune. Delia is a very skilled card player, so at night she travels to St. George to play cards and find out some information on this tattooed card player. Delia disguises herself as a boy and no one is the wiser-no one but Warren. Warren immediately recognizes Delia and wants to know why she is playing a very dangerous game. If she is discovered she will be ruined and if she finds the tattooed card player she could find herself in danger. Warren immediately finds himself intertwined with Delia and her determination to find this man and the big secret that her sister-in-law is hiding from her. Now a widow, Brilliana is widowed and penniless. 

There were some parts that I liked about this story such as Delia. I loved her as a heroine and found her to be very strong and clever. Bravo! I liked Warren too but here is my little grievance… it seems that almost every historical romance I read the hero is a rogue/ womanizer etc… for maybe about ten minutes and then he meets the heroine and he is anything but. I’m not sure if it’s the vintage Anne Stuart hero’s that I miss, but I miss those hero’s. Warren was a sweet guy who suffered a very dramatic experience and has lived with it all his life. He was endearing but, like I said I miss those alpha males in historical romance. I did like the mystery of Delia trying to find the tattooed card dealer and I thought that Jeffries really connected him very well to the next book which is “The Pleasures of Passion.” This is Brilliana’s story and we will be able to uncover her big secrets and all the things she has been hiding. Beverley A. Crick was a good narrator, this story is pretty long and I thought she was able to keep the momentum going. There were times when it seemed to me that she made Warren sound a little too whiny but overall I enjoyed her narration. Personally, I’m so grateful for audiobooks especially during times when I’m too busy to read, now I’m counting down to the next story.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Marked by Midnight by Lara Adrian, Narrated by Hillary Huber

“Marked by Midnight” is the 11.5 of the Midnight Breed series. For me, this is my first experience with Lara Adrian. She is one of those authors that I always mean to read so when the opportunity to review her novella came up I was excited. Although I enjoy paranormal it’s not a genre I hear or read frequently. I’m happy to say that this was a great introduction to both Adrian and to her Midnight Breed series. 

First, yes this is a novella but Adrian quickly established tension between the two lead characters: Mathias and Nova. Two, she presents the eerie scene of a murder out on the hunt for Nova. Three she was able to establish a connection between me and the secondary character even if only briefly. 

Mathias Roman is a vampire warrior Nova is a breed mate and she is able to see the end of people’s lives. Nova leads a quiet life as a tattoo artist. When the dead body of a man with scarab tattoo. Nova is quickly involved and her life quickly becomes threatened. Because Nova and Mathias are still strangers, there is room for misunderstanding and a lack of trust. Personally, I liked Nova and Mathias. Nova is a type of rebel but she is all heart and incredibly loyal to those she loves. Nova has had a tough life but she has started a little circle of people she loves. When one of them suffers protecting her she runs and takes her adoptive-type brother with her. Mathias feels hurt because she fled before coming to him. Mathias is a tough vampire but he realizes that Nova is one of a kind and he is not ready to lose her. Neither to the murder nor to their own distrust.

The novella was, yes short-it is a novella, but it is very good. I was instantly interested in the characters and the love story between Mathias and Nova. Also, I was curious to see how the story would unfold. I definitely plan to read or hear more by Adrian and I am very interested in the series. Hillary Huber was a great narrator. She really added to the tension and the emotions behind the story. “Marked by Midnight” is a compact novella of chemistry, suspense, back stabbing and conflict.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: The Summer Bride by Anne Gracie, Narrated by Alison Larkin

“The Summer Bride” by Anne Gracie had such great reviews everywhere I looked that I instantly jumped at the chance to read it. This was a while back before it came out, when I started reading it I couldn’t really get into it. So I thought it must be the cockney accent that was turning me off. So when the chance to review it on audio came up I tried to listen to it, thinking that it would help improve my experience with the story. 

I wish it had, but it didn’t. 

Usually I love outcasts. They are my favorite hero’s and/or heroines. Daisy and Flynn are definite outcast. Daisy is a seamstress. She makes her living designing fashion for the tons most sophisticated and revered. This is the last book in the series, so Daisy’s character appears in the previous stories. Daisy is very outspoken and very much her own person. Flynn is not a gentleman but also makes a living and is very successful. Unlike Daisy, Flynn does want to be accepted into society and is determined to find a wife that will meet all the goals of the ton. Because him and Daisy have always been friends, apparently Daisy’s only male friend, they are very comfortable with each other.

While visiting one of his ships-not boats- as he repeatedly tells Daisy, he begins to see her in a new light and decides that he will start courting Daisy. Flynn is handsome and overall, a nice guy but Daisy is determined to be herself and not conform to any assigned roles, whether it be by society and most certainly not her husband. When Flynn proposes, Daisy refuses and they both try to grapple with finding their own happiness. 

Usually I would love a story like this, but this story felt so long and drawn out and just, plain, old -boring. I didn’t love Daisy. She seeming very irritating and drama-driven. I get that the author was really breaking with convention by creating a very free thinking heroine but I did not take to her. Flynn also fell very flat for me. I wanted to shake some sense into him and yell at him to get a backbone. Like I mentioned, Gracie’s books all have fantastic reviews and I’m sure her fans will love this story but for me, I was happy when it was over. 

Alison Larkin is a great narrator. She really seems to understand her characters and knows how to make each one stand out as their own person.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh, Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

I saw so many great reviews for “Simply Unforgettable” by Mary Balogh that I was intrigued by the story. Balogh is an author I have tried to read in the past but didn’t quite get into. I liked the plot behind “Simply Unforgettable” and I enjoy romance novels where teachers are the main heroines.

Frances Allard was a great heroine. She is a teacher at an all-girls school. She teaches girls that don’t come from high society families. She loves her job and working with her students. Frances is also a very talented singer. She is a very gifted songstress. During the Christmas holiday she is visiting her aunts when on her way back to her school, her carriage suffers an accident. Lucius Marshall is both the cause and the help in this incident. Lucius and Frances rub each other the wrong way and soon they are at odds. Lucius offers Frances help and she has no choice but to accept as a big snow storm hits.

When Frances and Lucius spend the next couple of days together there is a notable class difference between them. But soon they realize that they really enjoy each other and find the good in each other. Lucius gives Frances the holiday that she has always wanted and although Lucius is not ready to say goodbye, Frances realizes that there is not future for them. Lucius feels rejected by Frances and can’t understand why she doesn’t want to see him after an intimate night that they shared.

Frances and Lucius part ways and they each carry on with their own lives. She goes back to teaching and he goes back to his home. Lucius realizes that it’s time for him to marry and he realizes it’s his duty. He seems to have someone in mind when fate intervenes and Frances meets his grandfather. Frances and his grandfather develop a great relationship. She also plays chaperon to his younger sister and also develops a good relationship with her.

So, this is where I started to struggle… I felt that the drama that followed Frances and Lucius was very drawn out. There was so much that happened in the first part of the book but then everything that followed was very drawn out. Even after Lucius reconnects with Frances, she starts to imagine that he is only interested in exploiting her signing talent and he only wants her as a mistress.

Overall, the story was cute but I would have enjoyed it more if it were shorter and there was an actual problem instead of self-created problems. I am confident that Balogh fans will enjoy this story and I plan to hear the next one in the series.

Rosalyn Landor was a great narrator. I thought she really understood the characters and their emotions. She made the story enjoyable to hear.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe, Narrated by Carmen Rose

I’ve had a copy of “The Courtesan Duchess” to hear for a while now, it was only after reading “Magnate” by Joanna Shupe that I was intrigued with her writing and interested to see how Shupe would unravel this story. It sounded unique and intriguing.

Our heroine, Julia, the Duchess of Colton, is an abandoned wife. Her husband, Nick never wanted to marry and did it only out guilt and family duty. Julia has been on her own since her wedding day. Because of that she has been a prey to the man in Nick’s family that are all to happy that Nick has left England and that he has washed his hands of his estate and his wife. Julia’s situation becomes very pressed and the only thing she can think of is to seduce her husband under the guise of a courtesan. With the help of her friend and Aunt, she travels to Venice to seduce her husband-the Depraved Duke.

Julia pays for the professional services of one of London’s most notorious courtesans in an effort to get pregnant and gain an heir so her problems will all be solved. Nick has left her and has done nothing to reach out to her. Nick is instantly intrigued by Julia and they begin a love affair. He does not suspect that she is really his wife. Nick soon realizes that the women he thought to be a talented courtesan is really his wife and he immediately travels back to London to confront her. He soon realizes that she is with child. Nick, who never had any familial love or warmth from his parents immediately suspects that Julia was already pregnant and trying pass over her child as his. Their reunion is definitely not a happy one. I have to say that all this happens in only in the beginning of the book. Nick and Julia have many obstacles to overcome before they can even begin to understand each other.

Ok, so Shupe is fantastic! I really enjoy her unique storylines and I never knew where her story was going to take me. I liked Julia but Nick I had a harder time with! He was so stubborn and closed-off for the idea of ever finding happiness. Julia and Nick have many more obstacles to overcome aside from their own feelings for each other, there are scheming family members, attempts on their lives, just to name a few. Although Nick was very frustrating I really wanted them to finally find their happy ending. I was intrigued with the plot and I enjoyed them as a couple. I can’t wait to jump into the “The Harlot Countess.” The narrator, Carmen Rose, had her work cut out for her. There were many emotional scenes and complex characters and I thought she did them all justice in bringing them to life. I really enjoyed this story.

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran, Narrated by Alison Larkin

When I read “Fool Me Twice” by Meredith Duran over two years ago, I was hooked! I loved the story and I couldn’t wait to read “That Scandalous Summer” because it was the first book in the series. Duran is a very talented story teller! If anyone has not read her they are missing out!

“That Scandalous Summer” was a roller costar ride for me. I’ve been waiting for this story for so long that I was so happy when I finally received an audio version for review. The heroine in the story is Elizabeth Chudderley. Elizabeth is a very interesting character. She is a widow and a social flirt. She is known for her heavy drinking and partying ways. Elizabeth’s life of merriment is cut a little short when she receives the news from her solicitors that her financial situation is in dire need of help. Elizabeth’s only option is to marry. But she can’t marry just anyone, she has to marry someone with heavy pockets. This is not a great task for Elizabeth, she is beautiful, popular and very charming.

In comes Lord Michael de Grey. Michael is not wealthy. He is the second son and a doctor. His hospital is funded by his older brother Alastair. Michael and his brother had a very difficult upbringing. Their parents had a very ugly and loud divorce. It caused a great scandal in the ton and bother Michael and Alastair dealt with the brunt of the ugliness of their parent’s relationship. When Alastair becomes a widow, his own wife’s affairs come to light and with those affairs Alastair’s wrath. No one is spared, not even Michael. They fight and Michael refusing to bend to his brother, leaves for the country.

Michael is a country doctor and living a quiet country life when he finds Lady Elizabeth drunk in his front yard. Instantly the chemistry between them is evident and Elizabeth thinks it could be fun to have a little affair with “the country doctor” until she finds a rich husband. Michael is tempted by Elizabeth but eventually they give into their mutual desire. That’s just when the plot starts to unravel! Elizabeth finds out who Michael really comes from and his real identity, but he doesn’t have any money and won’t solve her financial situation.

I have to confess there were moments when I found that the story dragged on and I found it a little too convoluted. But Duran always has very intricate plots and this plot had so many different parts to it. First, we really had the chance to see Elizabeth grow from a pampered and stuffy high society lady to a self-less woman in love. There were moments of growth for her character that helped me come to like her as the story progressed. Michael was a pretty concrete character throughout the story but there were parts of him that also unraveled. My favorite parts were when the author begins to hint at the next book in the series, “Fool Me Twice” which is fantastic! The narrator, Alison Larkin is a greater reader! I thought she really understood and identified with Elizabeth’s character. I’m a fan of her audiobooks! Nonetheless, one can’t go wrong with this story. It’s really a great plot, great characters and I can happily attest, a great series since I loved both “Fool Me Twice” and “Luck Be a Lady.”

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Magnate by Joanna Shupe, Narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley

First off, wow!

Second, I can’t believe that this is my first story by Joanna Shupe. What an A-Mazing story!

I heard so many great reviews about this story that I jumped at the chance to hear it and review it. Because I’ve been pressed for time I’ve started to listen to the audiobook and I became addicted. Shupe writes a very thorough, greatly detailed, wonderfully detailed characters. I was so intrigued by the Gilded period and it has to be the first time I’ve ever read a story about this time period. It is absolutely fascinating.

Let’s start with our delicious hero- Emmett Cavanaugh. Talk about a hero. Emmett has made it out of the slums or Five Points with sheer determination, tenacity and some very illegal things. Emmett is ruthless. He controls much of the business that goes on in New York City. He is a very astute business man. He is devoted to his brother and his two half-sisters. The rest of his time, Emmett spends his time focused on business. Emmett is surrounded by his family and his right hand man, Kelly. One day Elizabeth Sloane , an equally smart businesswoman although the term does not exist during this time period, visits Emmett. Elizabeth convinces Emmett to give her a chance and that she will double his investment. Emmett is intrigued by Elizabeth’s proposal and mostly the idea of angering her brother William Sloane. Even though Sloane and William do deal with each other in business they hate each other.

Elizabeth is part of the elite class but she is also very smart and wants to be useful. She knows that the family business is suffering and she actually has the know how to help the business but her brother refuses to allow her. When Elizabeth is successful and doubles Emmett’s money she is exuberant because it proves that she is able to invest wisely and the wager will give her the money she needs to start her own investment firm. But that is just the beginning. When her and Emmett are caught in an amorous embrace her brother steps in and soon her and Emmett are married. That is just the beginning of their troubles.

First, Elizabeth and Emmett, although they have a strong attraction, they are strangers. They have a lot to learn about each other and matters are only more complex when Elizabeth finds out the real reason for their marriage. Emmett for his part carries guilt about his past. He has very serious issues and doesn’t listen to anyone. One huge winter storm forces them to finally give into their feelings but the situation between them still needs work. When Emmett’s stock crash, he instantly suspects Elizabeth and her brother. Typically, when I’m 70% of the way through a story I either get anxious or bored, well let me say, 70% of the way I was on pins and needles! The story really carries through to the very end. I loved how the story was very well developed and the characters included. I loved how Elizabeth was always true to herself no matter who challenged her! Whether it was Emmett or her peers in society.

I absolutely loved this story! As a narrator Amy Melissa Bentley did a good job. I thought that at times she read a little rushed but she kept a good pace! Now the countdown starts to the next book in the series “Baron.”

**Audiobook provided by Publisher**

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